Carbon
by Neocolai
Summary: Ten months after Ezra is rescued from Darth Vader, he and Sabine are assigned to an Imperial Academy on Lothal's outskirts. Kanan anticipates trouble, but the Force offers no warning... … 4th in the Never Alone series, can be read directly after Never Alone.
1. Prologue

**A.N.** This is the fourth in the _Never Alone_ series.

Story order: Never Alone, Renewal, Visions, Carbon

You can skip from Never Alone to Carbon if you want, but Renewal and Visions will explain 10 months' progress that altered Kanan and Ezra's perspectives, and how Darth Vader influenced the rebels from afar...

* * *

\- 10 months after _Never Alone_

* * *

 _Cold._

 _Kanan._

 _Where...?_

Thoughts so disjointed he didn't know what he was saying. _Kanan…_

 _Cold_. Just on the edges of his mind, past the sluggish pulses that reminded him he was alive.

 _Trapped..._ What was movement? His body didn't care. Easier just to sleep… just to…

 _Kanan._ He needed his master's help. He couldn't remember why.

 _Cold._ Better to slip inside and forget it. Faintly Ezra panicked, wondering why he couldn't move.

 _Ka….._

* * *

One slipup.

One tinny cadet voice that he would never forget.

The kid wasn't even anticipating a trap.

Then again, Kallus wasn't expecting to blunder into him while chasing down a Loth-cat. A Loth-cat that had stolen his ID chips, to be precise. Trapped in the Imperial academy, with the title "agent" as his ambition once more, pathetic twits under his tutelage; it was sheer luck that _someone_ decided to play undercover stormtrooper.

Bad luck for the kid, he was travelling alone.

No Lasat in sight. No Jedi Master (which would have been highly favorable). The only accompaniment was an unremarkable female, who was most likely a _real_ cadet whom the boy had befriended. (Her academic scores were impressive enough to indicate several years of study.)

Hence, one scared Loth-rat and a slam to the temple later, and Skywalker was insensible, wadded into a cargo pod like an ordinary blaster shipment. A shipment to be transferred under Commander Kallus' orders.

The Emperor would be pleased.

Kallus saluted casually as he strutted past the academy students. A new fifth level cadet fingered her helmet as he approached. Pausing, Kallus recalled how she had spoken with Skywalker earlier.

He eyed her keenly, then shrugged his suspicions away. If the cadet had any concerns for her friend, there was no evidence to incite suspicion. She mentioned briefly to an officer that "Cadet Jahba" had not been seen since the morning meal, and the officer warned her that persistent breaching of the rules often resulted in a day spent in the isolation decks. The cadet was experienced enough to know the implications. A nod, a salute, a flicker of anxiety in her otherwise stoic expression, and she continued to her classes.

Pity she wasn't that Mandalorian girl. Two prizes would have earned Kallus considerable merit.

For now, he had what the Emperor wanted.

Tighter security measures, an open trap, a wayward Jedi, and soon Kallus' promotion and more would be returned. There would be no mistakes this time. Kanan Jarrus would goad the rebellion no longer.

If Kallus failed, he still had the padawan.


	2. Mission

"You're going to _look out for one another_ this time."

"It's fine, Kanan! I've got this under control."

Sabine rolled her eyes and lightly punched Ezra's back. "Don't worry, Kanan; I'll make sure he gets home."

"I'll bring Sabine back safely," Ezra corrected.

"I don't care who drags whom back to the Ghost – just don't get caught." Kanan rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Never mind – just finish the op and contact Hera as soon as possible."

"We'll be careful," Sabine promised. Kanan glanced sharply at her and Sabine nodded. _I'll take care of him._

"It's going to be easy, Sabine," Ezra said as he slid on his helmet. "I've done this before. I'll teach you all the tricks for hoodwinking the officers."

"Not to brag, but I was in the academy long before you joined the crew," Sabine reminded. "You're great at undercover, but this time you should probably follow my lead."

"I'll follow you anywhere!" Ezra said cheerily, right before his foot latched in a Loth-rat hole.

Sabine huffed. "And while you're at it, try scrubbing the grass stains off your helmet; they don't tolerate sloppiness at the academy."

Shaking his head uncoordinatedly, Ezra scrambled up to follow.

* * *

"I don't like it."

"Kanan, he's almost sixteen. You can't hide him from the Empire forever."

"Who said anything about hiding? I'm just not sure he's ready for this."

"We've sent him on solo-ops before. Frankly, I think you're pushing it by insisting Sabine accompany him."

"His face is posted on every holonet channel. Remind me _why_ we're sending him directly into Imperial territory."

"Because you know he can handle it." Hera nudged Kanan reassuringly. "Besides, they'll only be at the academy for one day. Two at most. He'll be _fine_ , Kanan."

"That's what you said before." Kanan shifted uncomfortably, scratching his neck. Something felt off.

"And he was perfectly fine before," Hera drawled. "And the time before that, and the –"

"All right, you've made your point."

"The kid's seen five missions since Mustafar," Hera reminded quietly. "He knows how to look out for himself."

"That's what worries me." Kanan peered after the two figures, straining his eyes against the rising sun. "He doesn't know when to retreat."

* * *

Ten months.

Ten of the most erratic months of Ezra's life. Ten months of training and preparation, of meditation that only temporarily impeded the dark side, of learning to work as master and padawan team again, trusting that he wasn't evil, until Darth Vader was no more than a predatory figment lurking two steps behind.

Ten months and he still checked the bond halfway through the night, making sure Kanan was alive.

 _Relax. It's a simple op. Worry about Sabine – better still, make sure **both** of you don't die._

And to think he used to be nervous about botching a supply run. Holding the others back. Failing.

Ezra Bridger had kiddie problems. Ezra son of Vader had a family to protect.

Everywhere they went, Darth Vader's presence lingered. He was a hunter that could afford to wait. The Fulcrum had cut them from the intelligence roster days after Kanan had been captured. The Spectre cell was reliable, but recent events had proclaimed them too unstable. The less they knew, the less Vader could extract if – when –as soon as he tired of frivolous chases and hunted them down. Ahsoka's rebels had protected the Ghost thus far. Supplies, medical assets, fuel replacements; Kanan still marveled that they no longer had to steal everything. All the same, their communications with the rebel fleet were scant.

No one trusted a wanted cell.

It was limiting. Humiliating. A blow against Kanan, even though he never admitted it. Ezra complained enough for them both.

The Spectre team would just have to take down the Empire alone.

In a way the idea was thrilling; as though they had never lost the old times. Ezra was a cadet and Sabine was his partner, and if he ignored the darkness at the back of his mind he could pretend there never had been a Sith lord or his offspring. Just the Ghost team, focusing on another mission. Fun times.

"Spectre Six and I are approaching the target," Sabine said into the com.

"Your profiles have already been listed in the databanks," Kanan responded. "There are fifteen new students already enlisted; you should fit right in."

"Copy that."

"Spectre Six… be careful out there."

Ezra didn't need to hear the worried tin in Kanan's voice. He could sense his master's apprehension.

 _There's something different about this mission. I don't like the feeling. Watch yourself!_

"Copy that, Spectre One," Ezra said.

"And don't let that dye wash out of your hair!"

"Yeah, yeah," Ezra said, rolling his eyes. "And it's _red_ , not purple."

"Whatever. Rendezvous within forty-eight hours."

Who would have thought it would take two weeks just to find the stupid holodisc.

* * *

 _Commander_ Kallus. He may as well have been a private. Kallus twisted his fingers, gloves scuffing noiselessly. Pity the sleek finish had been worn away.

Reports. Data records. Desk work. For ten months Kallus had tracked the rebel squabble, documenting sabotage and possible supply routes. The officers hunting them down were apathetic; always sending the stormtroopers to do their work while they fretted over how little was accomplished. Little wonder Darth Vader had disposed of two guards in the last month. He was behaving like a toddler who had just lost his favorite pet.

If Kallus had had a hand in things, that _pet_ would have been delivered straight to the Emperor. Jarrus would have been incinerated; no interrogations required. The remaining followers would have scattered, and that would have ended the Lothal rebellion.

Sipping his stim-tea, Kallus leaned back and examined the new academy schedule. Fifteen new – he frowned. _Seventeen students?_ Narrowing his eyes, Kallus flipped through the roster. He had updated the attendance himself. There should only be….

Cadet Kaner Jahba.

Cadet Synda Garzeb.

The blond girl was an aspiring level five student, renewing her training. Last minute admittance had put her at the bottom of the list. The mistake was acceptable.

Level three students had begun their training two weeks ago, however.

Either there was a glitch on his immaculate list, or Cadet Jahba was skipping classes.

Kallus did not tolerate slothfulness.

* * *

 **Thank you** to Midnight-Luna, Rebels-lover, Valkyrie-Sythe, Firehawk720, Ichichi05, heartbreakerninja, AzulaBlue92, BuruPlays2, and nuyen236 for leaving feedback on the last chapter! :D


	3. Reprimand

Grey walls. Grey uniforms. Cramped rooms. Droning officers.

 _I thought I escaped this months ago,_ Ezra thought moodily, slouching in his chair.

 _Keep it together._ Kanan's brush was soothing and Ezra tapped back, relieved when there was no interference. No Sith lords on this part of Lothal; the force was at peace.

Obviously Kanan still had a bad feeling about the mission.

"Cadet Jahba, your attention is required," the officer said in a clipped tone.

Sighing, Ezra set his shoulders and offered a squeamish grin. _It's better than Vader's training._

At least he didn't have to suffer from ration cubes at breakfast.

The officer humphed lightly and returned to the screen. "As I was saying, Imperial arsenal is highly superior to any….."

* * *

Ezra had to wait until the evening meal _the next day_ to contact Sabine. Classes on Lothal were strictly segregated; males in one classroom, females in the other. "The key to the Empire is order," the students were told consistently. Ezra kindly pointed out that both male and female teachers taught the classes, and was sentenced to copying regulations during lunch.

"Can you _try_ not to incite every teacher?" Sabine implored. "I know this is supposed to be an easy op, but if our cover is blown –"

"Hey, I got it," Ezra said lightly. "What did you find out?"

Sabine sighed, flicking back her bleached hair. "I hate this color."

"It looks good!" Ezra assured. "Maybe you should keep it that way." Even if the blond strands did make her look a little like Minister Tua's niece.

Sabine chuckled sardonically. "Only if you keep the purple."

"We are not discussing the purple – and it's red." Distressed, Ezra combed a hand through his hair. Dying it was the worst mistake Kanan had ever demanded of him. Undercover ops in Imperial territory? Out of the question from now on. (It was too bad he couldn't say the same for that gooey paint Hera smeared over his cheek.) "Seriously, how do you live with changing your appearance every few months?"

Sabine glanced over her shoulder and stepped closer to the wall. "Don't get lost on me, Ezra. That holodisc we're looking for isn't just a compilation of information. It should have all the records for the Empire's newest battalions. Officer Deva claims I'm her favorite student; I'm sure I can copy the data from her computer during the noon meal."

"Great! I'll tell Kanan that –"

"No, no!" Sabine shushed urgently, waving her hands. She spun and waved brightly as a few students passed, then whirled back to Ezra. "We can't pass on anything until we reach the Ghost. Every hall is being monitored."

"And you need that shut down by tomorrow at noon," Ezra guessed.

"Just the three halls between Officer Maipo's room and the dining hall." Sabine nodded with a smile. "I signaled the S-team this morning. They'll be waiting to pick us up."

"Cadet Garzeb, I trust you remember the rules about _fraternizing_ in the halls."

Sabine's eyes flickered nervously as she saluted. "Officer…." Her voice trailed and Ezra swallowed, slipping on his helmet.

"Kallus. Return to your classes. I must have a word with your friend."

Sabine glanced at Ezra and reluctantly slipped away. Her hand tapped her right hip. _Signal retreat?_

Ezra scratched the back of his neck. _Wait._

He drew himself up and saluted sharply, silently insisting, _Just a new student on his way to blaster training. Do not question the helmet!_

"Cadet Jahba," Kallus greeted smoothly. "What was your assignment last week?"

"Uh…."

"Don't lie to me. You deliberately flaunted your classes. You have shown disrespect to the officers who train you, and to the Empire that protects your family. Don't waste my time defending yourself. You will report to the cleaning droids every evening for the rest of the term. If the dining hall is not spotless I will personally report you to your instructors. Dismissed, Cadet!"

Gaping, Ezra watched as Kallus strode away. _I missed my classes?_

 _Wait… wasn't he supposed to be an Agent?_

Slowly Ezra grinned. "So you finally got what's coming," he murmured. He tapped his helmet. "Good thing visors are regulation for third year defense courses."

This was going to impede the plan.

* * *

The name was familiar. "Jahba, Jahba," Kallus whispered to himself. He tapped the datascreen and scrolled through the cadets, rubbing his chin absently.

"Aren't you a tragic runt." Maroon hair and a slothful expression, as though he had been caught in the middle of a sneeze. A Loth-rat indeed. A poor student, given his current exams and the fact that he had missed the first two weeks of classes.

Musing, Kallus activated the com. "Lieutenant Maipo, this is Commander Kallus. I want you to put one Kaner Jabha on report. Let him be an example to other cadets who imagine they can dally their way through the Imperial Academy."

That should put a rigidness in the boy's stride. It was the Empire's duty to create soldiers out of children, and Kallus never flaunted in his expectations.

* * *

Thank you to Janie, Midnight Luna, heartbreakerninja, Rebels-lover, Valkyrie-Sythe, Firehawk720, AzulaBlue92, Ichichi05 (and I just realized your avatar is a sideways dog - took me all this time), nuyen236, BuruPlays2, and Guest for leaving feedback on the last chapter, and thank you to those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!


	4. Doubts

**Thank you** to Sakura245, Begoogled, BuruPlays2, Superherotiger, AliveO, GrackleDragon, Midnight Luna, Firehawk720, AzulaBlue92, Ichichi05, and nuyen236 for leaving feedback on the last chapter, and thank you to those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!

* * *

"I don't like it."

"Kanan, sit down. You're making _me_ anxious."

"Five days, Hera! This was supposed to be an overnight op!"

"We knew it could take longer. Sabine has signaled me every night. They're fine."

"I still don't like it."

"You're pacing like a nerve-wracked parent. Sit down, Kanan, before Chopper starts fussing about lovers' quarrels."

"I am not pacing, Her – Chopper is _what_?"

Hera rolled her eyes behind her datapad. "You're as oblivious as your padawan. Sabine has been snickering behind my back for two years."

"Sabine!" Kanan yelled.

"Oh, you _are_ as jumpy as a womprat on claing." Tossing the datapad aside, Hera dragged Kanan to the bench. "Rest your leg, help me finish my report, stop worrying."

"I'm not worrying, Hera. I just want to be sure –"

"Ezra can take care of himself. _You_ , on the other hand…."

"I _what?_ "

Oh, those green eyes could snap when he was teed off. Hera smirked and retrieved her datapad.

"Well, love, as many times as you've rescued me, I tend to return the favor."

Kanan paused to dissect the comment and then smiled crookedly. "Am I really that tense?"

"Hm, you're a little neurotic. Relax. The kids have this under control."

"I know." Kanan lounged back, forcing his mind to settle. The Force niggled incessantly and he slipped into it, searching for a caveat.

Nothing.

Something was off.

* * *

"Cadet Jahba, you will report after classes for.…"

"Cadet Jahba, you will report after the evening meal for…."

"Cadet Jahba, you have been assigned to 'fresher duty for…."

"Cadet Jahba…."

"What exactly did you do?" Sabine railed on Ezra before he cleared the hall.

"Gah! I didn't do it!" Ezra exclaimed, dropping an armload of 'extra materials' the teachers had kindly bestowed on their 'wayward student'.

"What do you mean? Extra homework and now 'fresher duty? We can't afford to mess this up! Do you expect me to do all the work while you –"

Ezra quickly looked over his shoulder and yanked Sabine to the side. "I didn't slack off! Honest, Sabine! Kanan must have registered me in the wrong level. I was supposed to begin classes two weeks ago."

The ire left Sabine's gaze and she cringed in pity. "They dumped this on you for being _late_?"

"I swear Kallus had something to do with it," Ezra said gloomily. _Please, Vader, if I ask nicely can you just kill him next time?_

Sabine sighed. "This is really going to delay the op. Kanan's getting worried."

Startled, Ezra whispered loudly, "You've contacted him?"

The Mandalorian shrugged. "I know where to find the security bugs. I've been signaling Hera every night."

"And you didn't tell me?"

Sabine looked perturbed. "Well, you and Kanan have the force bond. I have to use normal communication."

Ezra waved her aside. "Fine, I get it – just – let me talk to him next time, okay?"

Sabine's frown deepened. "Ezra… I know it's been tough since … since you and Kanan were separated. But you've been terse with everyone lately."

Had he? Ezra swallowed thickly. He knew he had been snappish before the mission, but that had seemed … normal.

 _In the Mustafar sort of way…._

Wincing, Ezra said quietly, "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

But he did. It was still crawling inside of him; that curdling darkness imprinted by his own father.

 _He's not my dad._

 _Stop lying to yourself._

"You're right, Sabine," Ezra said, forcing a lighter tone. "I'll get it together; promise."

"It's okay, Ezra." Sabine assured, squeezing his shoulder. "You know we're here for you, no matter what."

 _No matter what…._

"Yeah…" Ezra trailed off uncertainly. "Thanks."

 _You have no idea what you're saying,_ he thought as Sabine turned away.

But when she smiled at him despite her uncertainty, _forcing_ herself to trust, Ezra suspected she knew. He looked down at his helmet, almost seeing himself through visored, emotionless lenses.

 _You shouldn't trust me so easily._

A few more days on Mustafar, and he might have killed them all.

* * *

Darth Vader had waited for this time.

Doubtful.

Unguarded.

Susceptible.

Wavering despite his master's call.

Ezra was ready.

The force reeled, shrieking to Kanan, battering the shields Vader had wound around the Jedi. He shuttered it with the dark side, muting the warnings. He had invested too much in his son for Kanan to rip him away from the Imperialists now.

The information on the holodisc was falsified; the upgraded regiments a mere sham. There was nothing to be found at the academy. The children had plunged into their final net.

A pity the girl had to involve herself; Vader might have spared her.

One less rebel to inspire Lothal.

Transmitting his final warning, Darth Vader prepared to encroach the academy. There was to be no interference. The boy was to be left unharmed. No drugs, no mind alterations.

The Mandalorian was disposable.

 _You are a threat,_ Darth Vader echoed to his son. _They believe in you. They expect you to save them._

 _Had they delayed any longer, you would have killed your own master._


	5. Argument

"It hate this," Ezra muttered, slopping a wet rag onto the kitchen floor. Soapy water smacked his cheek and he angrily slicked it away. "Hate it, hate it, hate it."

The cleaning droid behind him was warbling an off-key tune, mindlessly spinning across the clean floor and leaving skid marks behind. A "kitchen helper" C3-RA was called. More like a torture droid. Sure, "Cee-Ray" cleaned the dishes and ensured the garbage disposal was working properly, but he seemed incapable of dumping leftover food into the disposal unit. Guaranteed, the plates would be scraped onto the floor. Ezra was positive the officers had designed "kitchen duty" specifically for wayward students.

"Would it kill someone to pull your plug?" he lashed as the Cee-Ray whirled past, still caroling like a flensor with laryngitis.

"La-de-dah, plates away and works is done…." A final twirl and the droid slicked a plate of soggy vegetables directly into Ezra's mopbucket.

The Force curdled.

"I. Will. End. You," Ezra said between clenched teeth.

"Accepted. I will now sing a different song. Wee-dee-dee, the plates go screech and we sing to make the day less loooong – "

"That's it!" Slamming the now-filthy bucket into the sink, Ezra raised a hand –

And quickly tucked it behind his back, grinning sheepishly as Officer Maipo peeked into the kitchen.

"Skirting your duties, Cadet Jahba?" the officer frowned severely, examining the mucky kitchen. "If you were in my classes, this misbehavior would have been amended long ago. _My_ students are punctual and deferential."

"Yes, Officer Maipo," Ezra said with cool snide.

The lieutenant sniffed as though the mopbucket had been slopped onto his desk. "Scrub the floors extra well, Cadet. I can imagine more creative punishments for an idle student."

"Yes, Officer Maipo." Sullenly Ezra dumped the bucket into the garbage disposal and began filling it with fresh water. The friendly kitchen droid began larking behind his shoulder.

"Whee-del-dee, more detention, for you and meeee….."

Once. Just once. Kanan wouldn't be angry with a _teeny_ bit of senseless revenge, right?

"For the record, I'm not acting in anger," Ezra insisted as he dumped the sudsy water over the Cee-Ray's head.

It was worth morning detention.

* * *

"Really, Ezra?" Sabine moaned as she watched him scrub dishes beside a static-disrupted Cee-Ray.

"Trust me, it was worth it," Ezra insisted.

"You already have three weeks of detention!" Fretfully Sabine rubbed her forehead. "Ezra, you know I hate the academy just as much as you, but Kanan's depending on us."

Ezra whirled and slammed the cleaning rag into the sink "Don't use Kanan against me!"

Uncertainly Sabine stepped back, left hand straying to her hip in automatic defense. Ezra set down a grimy plate and dragged his fingers through his hair.

"Sabine, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to –"

"No, I get it. It's okay, Ezra" With a half-frozen smile Sabine pushed the matter behind her. "I understand."

Ezra had never felt so lucky to call her a friend. "Sabine –"

"Look, I overheard Officer Deva's holoproj yesterday. She was discussing the holodisc we're looking for. Ezra, she was speaking to Darth Vader."

"Vader?" Cold. Hatred pushing him beyond Kanan's training. Ezra's nose flared and for an instant he felt weightless. _Calm down! He's not here!_

"Ez?" Worried, Sabine stepped into the kitchen.

"I'm fine," Ezra said briskly. "Better watch out – Cee-Ray chases down intruders with a mop."

Electricity sizzled in the droid's water-damaged circuits, and Sabine wisely retreated. "Ezra, what's going on? Talk to me."

"Nothing – it's _nothing_ ," Ezra said wearily. "I've been washing pots and mucking floors for two weeks. It's kind of degrading. What did Officer Deva say to Vader?"

Sighing, Sabine shook her head. "I didn't hear all of it – only that the holodisc is imperative and she should be prepared for an 'update in plans'. Officer Deva seemed worried about 'drastic measures'. I'm not sure what she meant, only that Darth Vader emphasized 'the Empire's resolution' directly after." Sabine tossed her hair back, rolling her eyes.

Something felt wrong.

Curdling.

Anxiety.

Harm.

"Sabine, if anything happens…." Ezra's eyes narrowed sharply. "Get yourself out."

"Are you … sensing something?" Sabine shifted from one foot to the other, fingers twitching for her abandoned helmet.

"Just a thought." Ezra brushed it away, and the nagging concern lingered. "If this mission goes wrong, I can't protect myself and you at the same time."

 _If Vader comes after me….._ He couldn't watch her die.

"We leave together," Sabine retorted. "We're a team, remember?"

"Sabine." The stack of dishes clunked into the sink, and Ezra hoped she felt fear from his glare. "Promise me."

"Promise you _what_?" Unnerved, she still refused to back down.

"If Darth Vader ever finds us, you have to run." It was a command more than a supplication. _No more kiddie games._

"No one's leaving you behind again." Sabine's voice dropped to a dangerous note. "That's what family does; we look out for each other."

"I can't look out for you if you're in the way!"

Stepping back, Sabine breathed harshly between her teeth and spun around. Regret spliced through Ezra immediately.

"Sabine, wait!"

"I'm going to the training room!"

"Sabine, I didn't mean it like that!" Skidding on the wet floor, Ezra reached out a hand.

"It's _fine_ , Ezra!" Spinning in the entrance, Sabine chopped her hand down dismissively. She deflated, rubbing her brow. "Just – we'll talk about this later, okay? I need some time alone."

"Okay," Ezra said softly. He cringed as militaristic rigidness clutched Sabine's posture as she strode from the room. _Sabine, I'm sorry! I didn't mean any of it!_

 _I just can't let him hurt you._

Not like Mustafar.

He knew how Darth Vader demonstrated 'mercy'.

* * *

 **Thank you** to Guest Star,heartbreakerninja, nuyen236, Janellexleo4eva, Valkyrie-Sythe, Rebels-lover, Janie, starwarsrebels, neostorm845, Ichichi05, AzulaBlue92, Sakura245, Begoogled, BuruPlays2, and Midnight Luna for leaving feedback on the last chapter, and thank you to those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!


	6. Darkness

_Failed your master…. Use your anger…. No longer a Jedi…._

"Shut up, shut _up_ ," Ezra muttered as he stalked through the practice field. _I am a Jedi. I am a Jedi._

 _It gives you focus…._

"Shut up!" An anthill exploded to Ezra's right and he stuttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. _Stop it! I am not a Sith!_

The Loth-cat caught him by surprise.

One moment he was focusing on the sun; the light; the goodness of the Force, and the next he was tumbling, senses flung awry as a tooka scurried between his legs. Throwing out an arm, Ezra blinked as the sun ricocheted above him –

 _Darkness roiling over the academy. Buffeting an oblivious Kanan. Sabine in danger. Darkness. Darkness. Dar –_

 _Vader!_

Gasping, the memory of choke-holds binding his throat, Ezra floundered to his knees. The vision assailed him again.

 _Darkness. Swirling black cloak. Kanan screaming, clutching his right hand._

 _Kanan!_ Yelling incoherently, Ezra hammered a warning. Instantly Kanan's signature whirled around him.

 _Go! Trap!_ Ezra emphasized. He envisioned Darth Vader, propelling the image through the bond. Kanan jolted.

 _Go. We'll find Sabine._

Not good enough.

Darth Vader was already here.

Lurching to his feet, Ezra bolted for the academy. _Sabine! Sabine, run!_ She had to feel it! She had to –

Grey uniform and reeling stars. Ezra tumbled and clutched his head, looking up blearily at the Imperial Officer he'd run into. Kallus curled his nose in disgust.

"Skipping classes again, Cadet? I warned you of the consequences for insubordination."

"I wasn't skipping, Sir," Ezra said rapidly. "Officer Deva released classes early."

"Officer Deva is not in the habit of excusing tardiness. Where is your pass, Cadet?"

"I don't have one!" _Move already!_ Ezra's palms tingled and the darkness purred, begging to ram Kallus' superiority down his calloused throat.

Kallus' expression stilled. He narrowed his eyes slightly, then moved aside. "My mistake. I believe Officer Deva did release classes early this afternoon. Carry on, Cadet _Jahba_."

Ezra gusted a sigh. It had worked! Whatever he had done, the Force had pulled him through. Stepping cautiously past Kallus, he –

An armored forearm yanked around his throat.

The slug to the temple dropped him cold.

* * *

 _Kanan!_

Like a sonic blast the Force amplified and then folded into itself, exploding into volatile shards. Kanan yelled as the lights spun with the floor and his shoulder slammed into the base of the holochess table.

 _Ezra, stop! Whatever is happening, don't give in to it now!_

 _Go! Trap!_ The Force pounded Kanan and he instinctively grabbed his head.

"Kanan!" Hera's light feet. Small hands rocking his bruised shoulder.

 _A hollow vacuum of the Force warping the academy, unraveling into spires of tangible darkness. Darth Vader marching upon two credulous children. The smoking hull of the Ghost. Taste of death in the dusty air._

 _Get out!_ Kanan shouted to Ezra. He lunged for the cockpit, ignoring Hera's outcry. _Leave now!_ He returned the image of Sabine within the safety of the Ghost crew. _We'll find her._ _Go!_

"Kanan, what do you think you're doing?" Hera demanded, shooing him away from the console. She strapped herself in, fingers darting over the controls.

"Take us to the academy," Kanan ordered, reaching for Sabine's transmitter. "The mission was a ruse."

" _Again?_ Chopper, what did I tell you about scrambling the communications?"

The droid spurted frenziedly before Kanan interrupted, "It wasn't the communications. Darth Vader set us up."

Hera whirled in her chair. "You said he wasn't on Lothal."

"The Force was clouded." Kanan closed his eyes, now perceiving the surge of Darth Vader's presence. "Somehow I couldn't sense him."

 _Peril! Run!_ The Force had tried to warn him. Kanan gripped his lightsaber.

"Sabine isn't responding to the signal," Hera said tersely.

"Then make a covert landing," Kanan barked. "Zeb and Chopper will infiltrate to retrieve her."

"Are you crazy? You can't send a Lasat in there. The Imperialists will know it's a con before he reaches the front door."

"Someone has to find Ezra."

"We'll go after Ezra," Hera said calmly. "You don the trooper armor and retrieve Sabine. Better yet, mug an Imperial officer."

Shaking his head, Kanan sifted the darkness for Ezra's location. "You're no match against Vader."

"Neither are you."

Kanan looked up in surprise and Hera nodded. "We'll take this _before_ he arrives. We won't let you down, Kanan."

Her assurance was plausible. Sensible. Practical.

 _Wrong_.

"Send Chopper after Sabine," Kanan decided. He pointed to the fields outside of the academy. "Land as close as you can. Zeb and I will infiltrate here."

"And if you sense a Sith lord, I shoot him," Hera surmised. "Hurry, love."

Kanan nodded, just before the bond shuddered and Ezra's consciousness buckled.

* * *

Two weeks. Two weeks of sinking into the Imperial ranks, relearning everything she had tried to forget, watching sympathetically as Ezra was humiliated with the grungiest chores, and Sabine had finally achieved the target. One holodisk containing the Empire's recent imports, construction, and military advances.

"Guess that concludes the mission," Sabine said, swiping her arm across her forehead in relief. She activated the Ghost's signal and trotted into the hall. "Now, to find Cadet Jahba…"

Ezra wasn't in the back kitchens. Nor the open classrooms. Sabine even cajoled a sweeper droid to check the 'fresher, catching herself just before she could describe Ezra's hair as blue.

He wasn't anywhere.

"That's funny," Sabine muttered to herself. Ezra wouldn't randomly vanish without contacting her.

"Officer Maipo, sir," Sabine greeted with her best salute.

He waved her off distractedly, engrossed in his datapad. "Speak quickly."

"I'm looking for Cadet Jahba, sir. I haven't seen him since breakfast."

The officer finally glanced up. "Commander Kallus informed me he will not be attending classes this afternoon. You do understand there are consequences for injudicious behavior. I suspect a day in the isolation decks was in order. You will see him in the mess hall tomorrow, no doubt."

Sabine hid a flinch. "Understood, sir."

"I finished grading the exams, by the way," Officer Maipo added as he passed. "Your scores were affluent."

There was no reason to be thrilled about passing an exam she had taken two years ago… but Sabine basked in her success.

* * *

"Officer Maipo," Kallus called as soon as the girl left. The officer glanced sidelong at him and smirked.

"Commander Kallus."

 _Soon to be your superior officer,_ Kallus swore. "I will be directing a shipment to the Eriadu system this afternoon. Some of the cargo is fragile; I thought I would make use of the freezing chamber you have for emergency stores."

"Mind you don't carbonate the Tarkin's wine," Maipo cautioned. "Alcohol loses thirty years in the process."

"Noted." Kallus said smoothly.

One Jedi down. Once the padawan was safely entrenched in the Eriadu system, he could pursue Jarrus at his ease. A disjointed team was prone to irrational behavior. Kallus knew exactly how he would lure Kanan to his starship.

If luck favored him once more, he wouldn't even have to wait until the padawan was delivered.

"Prepare my transport," Kallus told his aide. "And send for reinforcements. Experience tells me we are about to be sabotaged."

* * *

Thank you to GrackleDragon, Ichichi05, BuruPlays2, nuyen236, AzulaBlue2, Superherotiger, Begoogled, Janie, Midnight Luna, Guest Star, and for leaving feedback on the last chapter, and thank you to those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!


	7. Assault

**Thank you** to Rebels-lover for reminding me that I have a story to update, since I was too busy reading fanfiction lately to write any myself. XD

Congratulations to heartbreakerninja and Midnight Luna for guessing the implications of the title! ;)

Thank you to Rebels-lover, heartbreakerninja, Sakura245, Valkyrie-Sythe, Ichichi05, BuruPlays2, nuyen236, AzulaBlue2, Superherotiger, Janie, Midnight Luna, and Guest Star for leaving feedback on the last chapter, as well as those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!

* * *

 _Ezra!_ Kanan floundered, digging through sludged bond. _Ezra, can you hear me?_

… _Ka…._

 _Kid!_

The force signature was thrumming but insubstantial. Ezra's concentration drifted and Kanan sensed _cold_ and _stuck_ before it burrowed out of his reach.

"Kid, what did they do to you?" Kanan whispered. He unclipped his blaster, keen to dent more than a few trooper helms.

"Um… you're not going berserk on us again, are you?" Zeb asked nervously.

Slowly Kanan flexed his hand. "No… I'm not."

"Good. Cause we're rescuing the kids; not hunting down Sith lords. … Just in case you weren't aware."

Kanan raised one eyebrow. "This isn't a quest to destroy Vader."

"No, you're just itching to pull out that blaster like last time. Remember what you told the kid about revenge and all."

"Now you're worried about the ways of the Jedi." Kanan rolled his eyes.

"Hardly," Zeb drawled, "But I don't aim to be ignited while you take off on a wild bantha chase."

"I have this under control."

"Yeah." The Lasat coolly flicked dust from his bo-rifle. "That's what the kid always says."

* * *

Blaster ricochets swerved around the Phantom as Kanan twisted it into a roll.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" Zeb shouted.

"Zeb, everything is a bad idea when you're dismantling the Empire." Stupid turrets! _Kid, if you got yourself shot I'm sending Chopper to incinerate your remains._

"Well, this is worse than your usual ninny stunts." Zeb ducked in the open entry, retaliating with a bo-rifle shot to the ground patrol. "Tell me you at least _warned_ the kids."

"Chopper is retrieving Sabine," Kanan said tightly. "Ezra sensed the alarm before I did."

"Remind me why he isn't directing missions."

Kanan shot Zeb a dour look. "You really want to take his orders?"

The Lasat's ears flattened. "On second thought, let's just give the kid to the Imperialists." He cackled and picked off another stormtrooper. "Love to see them blow up their own Star Destroyer after he starts whining."

"Don't encourage him." Kanan reached for the com. "Chopper, any sign of Spectre Five?"

"Spectre Five here." Sabine's voice rattled. "What's going on?"

"Chopper will explain," Kanan said rapidly. "Go with him and rendezvous with Hera. The mission has been compromised."

"What about Spectre Six? I can't find him anywhere!"

Zeb groaned. "I told you we should have –"

Kanan closed his eyes, shutting out the Lasat's rant. _Ezra?_ he called.

Dark and cold. Cramped. Soft blackness, so easy to return to and ….

 _Kid, talk to me!_

 _Sleep?_ Came the plaintive response.

 _Not now. What happened?_

 _Cold._

 _Come on, Ezra; sense me out. Just tell me where you are._

A sigh across the bond. _Kallus…._

 _Where?_ Kanan slogged through the dampness, singling a thread of uncertain light.

 _Kanan? What … . … Kan…?_

"There. Left field!" Kanan exclaimed to Zeb.

"All I see is a slew of bucket traps and – wait… Imperial shuttle coming in on your right, Kanan!"

Vader.

"Clear the troopers outside of the hangar!" Kanan shouted, pointing to a transport that was still grounded. _Kallus_ ' vessel; he knew on instinct. "I need a clear range for that supply transport."

"Since when is this op composed of blowing up more Imperial supplies?" Zeb griped, bombarding another turret.

"Would you just do it already?"

"Yeah, yeah… you're clear to land, _Fearless Leader_."

"Good. Take the helm."

"Hold on, you mynock-brained –"

Kanan was already leaping. He spun, flipping mid-air and rolled onto his bad shoulder. The Phantoms cannons pelted the nearest patrols while Kanan's blaster eradicated the rest. Sprinting for the cargo vessel, Kanan shoved the guards into opposite walls and bounded up the gangplank.

He wasn't the only one who had sensed Ezra's disorientation.

Darth Vader was gaining fast.

Kanan snarled at Vader through the force. He was retrieving _his_ padawan, and no bucket-headed sarlaac was taking the kid away from him.

* * *

Insubordinate meddler!

The landing ramp shook under Darth Vader's boots. The lieutenant gulped and stepped to the side.

"Inform Commander Kallus that I demand his presence," Darth Vader commanded.

"Sir… the Emperor has already relayed his instructions," the lieutenant said shakily. "Commander Kallus has been commended for his capture of the Lothal rebel. The Emperor has ordered that the rebel be transferred to the Death Star immediately."

" _What?"_

The lieutenant cringed. "He … does not want there to be any more mistakes, my lord."

The moisturizer behind the lieutenant crumpled and the officer squinted. "Shall I send a transmission to the Emperor regarding your change in plans?"

Darth Vader paused. "… No. Remain on the shuttle until further orders."

"Yes, Lord Vader." Relieved, the lieutenant shuffled away. No doubt he was counting the days until demotion to 'fresher duty again. He had survived longer than most of Darth Vader's officers, but he would never see promotion.

Turning to Kallus' transport, Darth Vader sought the tremble of his son's signature. Kanan's presence stagnated the force around Ezra. The absurd Jedi still believed he would triumph.

Little did he understand.

Darth Sidious had schooled Anakin Skywalker for nine years.

Patience was not limited to the Jedi.

* * *

Pandemonium racketed the academy after the rebel attack. Cadet initiates were ushered to their dorms while the officers prepared for defensive maneuvers. No one noticed the dented copper droid and a fifth year cadet slipping out of the kitchen air vents.

"Thank the stars the kitchen needs a sturdy airflow," Sabine grunted as she wriggled Chopper free. Gratefully she tugged her 'emergency kit' from the droid's claws. "Paint can, thermal detonators, blaster pistol... okay, let's go!"

The field was clear. Stormtroopers convalesced on the right, where the Phantom swerved alarmingly close to one of the water towers.

"Yeep!" Sabine gritted her teeth in dismay. "Who put the Lasat in the helm?"

Squinting at the fray, she clinked the thermal detonators in her hand and then glanced at the distant Ghost. "Chop, we're taking a detour."

Spewing protests, Chopper batted at her to run to the Ghost. Sabine shook her head and clicked on her cadet helmet, jogging to the dusty tangle of bucketheads.

"I think Kanan's going to need some help!"

 _Forget your stupid, noble plan, Ezra. This Mandalorian never retreats._

* * *

 **A.N.** Neocolai is half asleep and posting. If confused, please contact the author for clarification. ;) Reviews influence the happiness meter, and speculations influence Arc 6! (Seriously, there was a nice, easy-going plot until certain people started theorizing on Darth Vader... Please don't anyone inspire Kallus!) D:


	8. Confrontation

**A.N.** Please note that there are some references to the in-between oneshot sequence _Renewal_ , so if you haven't read that and you think Kanan has lost his mind... yes, working with a sleep-medicated-padawan tends to do just that.

* * *

Carbon.

Black slate in a frame of solidified gasses.

Burning to the touch.

Incapacitating.

Cruelly effective.

 _Ezra!_ Kanan rested a hand on the glacial block, cringing when Ezra's signature only grazed his mind. The poor kid must have been unconscious when he was frozen. He was curled on his side, just beginning to wince when the flash-freeze hit.

No time for consciousness to form before hibernation claimed him. He could barely respond to Kanan's shouts.

"Hold on, Ezra," Kanan murmured, tapping the controls. "I'll have you out of there before you can say 'Kanana'." Guaranteed, the kid was going to act drugged when he was released. Might as well start the lunacy beforehand.

Slate glowed and burgundy liquefied into transparent sheen. Impatiently Kanan swiped the condensation away and knelt.

"Kid –"

Rounded iron nudged the base of Kanan's skull. Two others clicked from the sides.

"A Jedi caught off guard, and his padawan besides. The Force appears to be on my side." Kallus chuckled as he dragged the deathhammer down to the corded muscle behind Kanan's neck. "Release your weapon, Jarrus."

Kanan gritted his teeth, tracking the stormtroopers in his peripheral vision. He glided over Ezra's consciousness; still cataleptic, but glimmering slowly.

 _Roll, block, sidestep, disarm, right kick, block, disarm, left hook, incapacitate._ Kanan could think of four solutions that would end with a whole Jedi and three dazed Imperialists. On his own, the odds were ludicrous: Kallus stood directly behind him and the two buckets would scarcely aim before they were dismantled. But Ezra was only beginning to stir.

One stray shot could sever the bond permanently.

Sunlight glinted on a bo-rifle and Kanan smiled.

"You can have it," he said chirpily, tossing his lightsaber aside.

Shrieks of green energy. Kanan lunged, tucking Ezra beneath him and rolling until he smacked into the legs of the second trooper. The first trooper had already collapsed. Zeb's shouted _"Move!"_ was the only forewarning before two glittering thermal detonators _plinked_ at Kallus' feet. Red indicators flickered and both Jedi and Commander leapt.

Charred fragments. Squeezing in breaths of dry, ash-choked poison. Eyes streaming. His face was burning. _Ezra! Ezra!_

Safe. The kid was breathing. Kanan fell across him, sucking air from the pure, undisturbed grass. He thought he heard Sabine crying out his name.

Metal boots halted shy of his face.

Tucking one arm around Ezra, Kanan raised his eyes defiantly and spat at the feet of Lord Vader.

* * *

A kick to the mouth and the rebel sprawled, panting in the airless heat. Pitilessly Darth Vader watched him struggle.

"Your valiance is futile. You have trained the boy well. Now, I am the master."

"Get - _*cough* *cough* -_ away - _*wheeze*_ –"

"Save your courage," Darth Vader said, dropping his lightsaber to Kanan's neck. "Your resistance is admirable, but worthless."

Blue eyes peeked open, distracting him from the Jedi. Rapidly Ezra glanced between Kanan and Darth Vader. "If you kill'im I'm'a gonna jump in front of a Loth-cat."

Kanan groaned. "No. Don't talk, Ezra."

Perturbed, Darth Vader scrutinized the boy's signature. Dazzled, minor effects from the concussion blast, some lingering disorientation from the hibernation state.

"That is enough cheek, Ezra. There will be no 'training mistakes' this time." The Death Star had more secure facilities than Mustafar.

"Not gonna kill Kanan," Ezra said thickly. He blinked in confusion and crinkled his nose at Darth Vader's lightsaber. "Put it down… right now… Like, now... Kanan, s'not working…."

"Kid, please shut up," Kanan muttered, one hand covering his eyes.

Infinitely perplexed, Darth Vader gradually lowered the blade. Ezra beamed.

 _This is foolishness._

A flicker of scarlet and Kanan hissed, lashing out to cover his seared eyebrow. Immediately he screamed.

Such an archetypal blunder. His flinch had cost him the last finger of his right hand. Darth Vader stepped back impassively as the Jedi cradled his wound.

"Even apprentices avert your mistake." _Do not flinch,_ Darth Sidious had drilled into a former apprentice.

Another drop of the lightsaber to the Jedi's leg, and he nearly lost a hand jolting to cover the graze.

"It appears your training has failed." Darth Vader roved the crimson blade before Kanan's eyes, noting the sweat of fear; the helpless anticipation; the ritual preparation for a Jedi's union with the Force. Anxiety for the boy twisted Kanan's expression.

"Perhaps you are correct," Darth Vader mocked, sensing the Jedi's thoughts. "Master Luminara would have circumvented me and raised him as a true Jedi."

"He's not your pawn," Kanan grated. His hatred was admirable. If not for Billlapa's training, he was almost more malleable than his padawan. Perhaps Darth Vader had been pursuing the wrong apprentice.

No matter. The Jedi had hampered his plans long enough. Force-pinning Kanan to the rubble, Darth Vader meticulously lowered his blade to the armor-clad shoulder.

"Your interference is no longer required."

Pathetic twitching. A pent growl that sharpened into a scream. Darth Vader had barely grazed the muscle. Hours of anguish awaited the meddler, and Ezra would learn to deny hope as he watched his master die.

Darth Vader's next comprehension was that his shuttle had an unusual helmet-shaped dent in the wing.

"Don't touch him! _Don't you touch him!"_

Ezra stood amidst a maelstrom of ash and rubble, hands outstretched, fury glowing in his eyes.

Eyes that were now a subtle shade of amber.

"I said, leave him alone!"

The dark side slammed Darth Vader against his shuttle again. Hazed malice surrounded Ezra, diverging from the ground and air; rising from his hands, his core, his very life. The Force responded, dark swells lifting him to defend his master.

The boy had completely opened himself to the dark side.

And the Force had answered.

But the Son of the Suns was not a cringing Jedi. Darth Vader thrust back, crushing the life force of a puny vessel. Ezra twisted; crumbled; the Force imploded inside him and he collapsed, gasping weakly. One limp hand trailed in the ash.

Kanan was the one who took it.

"Leave him alone," the Jedi rasped, drawing himself up to protect the child. Battered by the dark side; sapped from the earlier explosion; his defense was meaningless.

Yet Ezra's fading signature wound around Kanan's, and Darth Vader glimpsed the spark of their bond. Corrupted on one side, pure on the other. Dark and light mastering the balance of the force.

Then Darth Vader understood that the Emperor's only foresight was the boy's death. For Ezra Skywalker, loyalty quashed all doubt. Love dispersed fear. The bond would not be shattered.

So long as Kanan was his inspiration, he would not be turned. Even death would not sway the teachings of his master.

But no one was invincible.

Darth Vader would wait. The day would come when Ezra Skywalker tore free of his master and ascended to the power only his anger could provide. He would come to his father willingly, searching for the ancient methods that Kanan feared.

When that day came, Darth Vader would be ready for him.

And the Empire would shatter.

* * *

 **Clarification** for Kanan's mistake: Darth Vader singed his eyebrow with the lightsaber. Instinctive reaction? Clap a hand over the wound. Darth Sidious' grand phrase to a young Darth Maul was "Don't flinch again." Flinching = bad juju and Jedi don't put too much focus into that. Hence: Kanan flinches, covers up the pain, catches his hand on Darth Vader's lightsaber and loses his pinkie-finger. Darth Vader is such a bully. :(

Thank you to Cptbckthd, NerdwithaBook, , Begoogled, Sakura245, Midnight Luna, Rebels-lover, heartbreakerninja, Valkyrie-Sythe, Ichichi05, BuruPlays2, nuyen236, AzulaBlue92, and Superherotiger for leaving feedback on the last chapter, as well as those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!


	9. Spray Tactics

This chapter was not supposed to exist. This is the second "additional chapter" I wrote last minute because I realized there were a few nasty plot holes. Thank you to everyone who wondered what happened to Zeb and Sabine during the Vader confrontation, because this chapter would not have been included otherwise. :) I hope this answers all your questions.

* * *

 _(Beginning at the scene between Kanan and Kallus, when the thermal detonators explode...)_

* * *

The moment the detonators skipped from her hand, the moment Kanan wrapped his arms around Ezra, the moment Kallus looked up and his cruel eyes met hers, Sabine panicked.

"Move!" Zeb shouted, frantically waving Kanan away.

A cloud of ash billowed from the platform just as Imperialist and Rebel lunged.

"Kanan!" Sabine shrieked. _No! It was supposed to hit the transport!_ How could she have missed? Where was her sure hand; her cool fervor?

 _Where is Kanan?_

Choking, Sabine raised an arm over her visor. It was the helmet. Standard and efficient, it was qualified for bucket cadets and little more. The armor was clunky. The visor was clouded. She _needed_ her equipment.

"K _– *cough cough*_ – Kanan!" Waving smoke aside, Sabine ripped off her helmet and peered into the corrosion.

"Get down!" Zeb shouted. Suddenly he was beside her, pushing her down against the transport hub, jaw clenching reflexively.

Sabine felt the oppressive presence. She didn't have to be a Jedi to know who trampled the bodies of his own soldiers.

Armored helm and cape of night. Lethal weapon gleaming at his side. Power suffocating life.

Darth Vader.

Slowly Zeb raised his bo-rifle. Sabine delved in her emergency kit, yanking out …. A canister of paint.

 _Force take it!_ Her detonator supply was exhausted and her blaster charge was wasted on bucketheads. Slinking behind Zeb, Sabine trusted his weapon. _There's nothing more I can do here. Nothing, except….._

Too late – the gloved hand raised and Zeb gave a hoarse gurgle. He slid to his knees, bo-rifle slipping, hands pawing at his neck. "S-s'bine – r-run!" he tried to hack.

" _If Darth Vader finds us, you have to run…!"_ Ezra's steady, harsh eyes sprang to mind and Sabine clenched the paint can. " _I can't look out for you if you're in the way!"_

Teeth clenched. Lungs heaving. Indignation to rival a Sith lord's. Curling her free hand, Sabine shoved past Zeb and raised the paint can.

 _I am not a princess in distress, Ezra Bridger!_

Leaping, she pushed her feet into Vader's Force-blast and ignited the canister.

Orange paint clashed against black. Sabine had a moment to admire the splash of flame against Darth Vader's immaculate suit, before the Force shoved her towards the burning platform. Purple fur blurred as Zeb leapt to catch her, and she felt his arms wind around her before the unseen hand slammed into them again.

The last thought Sabine had was that Ezra was right.

She was no match for Darth Vader.

It was worth it.

* * *

When light returned and she felt _pain_ without coherency, Sabine wondered that she was even alive. Then she felt the breathing, limp pillow beneath her and she understood.

"Zeb?" Sabine whispered, lightly shaking the Lasat. Quivering, shoulders aching from the battering of the Force, she bent to place her ear against the furred chest.

Strong beats. Alive.

Sabine closed her eyes in relief. Glaring lasers flickered behind her eyelids, and she raised her arm to shield her sight from the Ghost's lasers. Advancing stormtroopers buckled in a cloud of soot and duracrete particles. Shouting, Sabine waved her arms.

"Down here! We're down here!"

Within moments the Ghost's ramp fell and it was Hera who was dragging them inside, straining under Zeb's weight as Sabine clumsily tried to help.

"Where is Kanan?" Hera snapped.

"Back there. He…." Paling, Sabine looked over her shoulder, towards the rubble. _He didn't get up! He didn't –_

Vader.

"Sabine!" Hera grabbed for her arm but Sabine was already running, tripping over blackened helmets and flung out limbs. "Sabine, get back to the ship right now!"

Staggering, the Mandalorian froze. Respect for Hera clashed against terror. Ezra and Kanan might be wounded - worse, even. Sabine could not apprehend Darth Vader by herself. Common sense told her to listen to Hera; to run back to the Ghost and let the cannons echo her helplessness.

Kanan's scream rose above the groan of metal.

Sabine tore off.

 _Come on,_ _Ezra!_ Sabine panted, clutching her side. _Whatever Kallus did to you, snap out of it! Kanan needs you!_

A fallen trooper contributed a disrupter rifle. Fumbling with the unfamiliar weapon, Sabine wished for Zeb's sure, trigger-happy long arms.

She rolled behind a sheared wing, peering around the jagged wires. To the right was Kanan, rasping as he clutched his right shoulder. To the left –

The Force threw Sabine off her feet and she shrieked as her head collided with Kallus' transport. Dark energy convulsed like a Mandalorian storm Covering her ears, Sabine tucked her arms around her head and drew her knees close

 _Ezra! Ezra, stop! Ezra!_

The air screamed even though there was no wind. Pebbles sprang under the assault and scraped Sabine's exposed skin. What she had associated with Ezra – warm caf, Lothal sun, tawny shades, and Coruscant clouds – fyrnock claws dragged through them like colorless ink, washing the memories into diluted puddles. Sobbing, Sabine dug her teeth into the back of her hand.

 _Ezra, no! Come back to me! I know you're stronger than him!_

A monster worse than her friend's wrath engulfed the platform, and the whirlwind collapsed.

The hate was gone.

The monster still breathed. Darth Vader strode forward, lightsaber trailing like the Inquisitor's blade, and Ezra lay unmoving.

 _No, no, no, no, no, no….._

Gasping threadily, Sabine gripped her paint can and shook it. One more shot. Two at best. If she could only aim for the helmet before her spine was crushed under Darth Vader's Force….

Suddenly the crimson blade was withdrawn. Heavy-shod boots tramped across the rubble, returning to the Imperial Shuttle. Dazed, Sabine shook her head.

 _He's leaving? Why? We were beaten!_

Quivering, she watched the last corner of Darth Vader's cape vanish. Anger filled her; hatred for a creature that taunted them at every turn.

"What do you want?" Sabine screamed. "What do you want with us?"

Silence answered her. Silence and the surreal drift of dissipating smoke. Howling, Sabine kicked a durasteel plate aside. "Leave Ezra alone!"

Only a startled Loth-cat hissed. Sabine snarled in return. She was half-incented to chase the skinny stray, as though its presence alone brought ill fate to Kanan.

Rubble creaked behind Sabine and she whirled, ducking for the disrupter rifle. Straining to lift it, she checked the cartridge. Dang it, she didn't even know how to use something this wieldy! Where was Zeb when she needed –

A singed glove dug free, followed by an Imperial sleeve. Dusky, straw-colored hair and a brutish face shook free. Kallus gritted his teeth around a growl, scrabbling for a blaster. Scowling, Sabine chucked the disrupter rifle and stomped forward. She peered into the former agent's murderous glower, raised the paint can, and fired.

Some Imperialists deserved to see more than grey tones.

It was worthwhile to listen to Kallus howl as she sauntered away –

And pelted for the decrepit platform where she had last seen Ezra and Kanan. The Ghost was closing in before her, and Sabine knew that by whatever providence, they would escape alive.

She hated Darth Vader for showing mercy.

The Empire only released a prisoner if there was promise of a greater show.

* * *

 **Hm, quickie-filler.** I had to write this last minute because ACK! I suddenly needed a bridge between chapters 8 and 9. :/ Ah, well. Enjoy!

Thank you to heartbreakerninja, nuyen236, Rebels-lover, BuruPlays2, Superherotiger, Begoogled, Valkyrie-Sythe, Janellexleo4eva, NerdwithaBook, , Ichichi05, AzulaBlue92, Guest Star, Guest, and Midnight Luna for leaving feedback on the last chapter, as well as those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!

To Midnight Luna (whom I could not answer via private message): There are presumably 3 chapters left, but that's considering that I already added two chapters that weren't supposed to exist. Who knows what could happen. :)


	10. Epiphany

**Wow, so much feedback!** 8) Thank you for all the smashing reviews, and welcome back to the original storyline - soon to lead up to Arc 5.

(To Midnight Luna): No, Sabine's spine wasn't crushed. :) She was worried that Vader would severely injure her with the Force, but he retreated before she could attack him a second time.

Thank you to Superherotiger, Ichichi05, NerdwithaBook, AzulaBlue92, heartbreakerninja, Sakura425, , Rebels-lover, BuruPlays2, Begoogled, Guest Star, and Midnight Luna for leaving feedback on the last chapter, as well as those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!

* * *

"He's going to be fine, Kanan. Barely a touch of hibernation sickness, and the clock to his head will heal quickly."

"It's not the injuries I'm worried about."

"No, you should be looking after your own." Hera folded her arms, willing her mental lecture into Fearless Leader's thick skull. "You survived a concussion blast soon after the effects of the _last_ disastrous op, your ears were _bleeding_ , Kanan, and if you don't lie down in the next five minutes I swear I'll have Zeb lock you in a crate!"

"Now you're trying to suffocate me?" Kanan jibed wearily.

"If it'll keep you lying down for five minutes!"

"Hera…"

She humphed and brushed past Kanan, deliberately fussing over the kid. Thank goodness the maroon dye was only temporary. She couldn't handle two teenagers with an identity crisis. Rubbing the last of the makeup from Ezra's scars, Hera sighed.

"Every time we return to Lothal, someone is waiting for you both."

"It was a mistake," Kanan said gravely. "We'll be more careful next time."

"Next time I may not get you back. First the Lothal transmission, then Raydonia – Kanan, we used to _avoid_ traps. Our goal was to _remain hidden_. Now we can hardly land on a planet without someone targeting you or Ezra. What happened?"

"The dark side is growing stronger."

 _Nowhere in the galaxy is safe._

Disheartened, Hera sat heavily beside him. "At least rest for an hour, love. I'll tell you if Ezra wakes."

"It's been a day." Kanan's brow creased. "Whatever Vader did to him…."

"There's no internal damage. He just needs time." Hera brushed Kanan's neck, urging him towards the door. "Sleep now?"

"One hour," Kanan conceded grudgingly. His limp had returned, along with the despairing slump in his shoulder. Hera closed her eyes.

"Come back to us soon, Ezra," she murmured, filtering a hand through his hair. "Whatever Vader told you; fight it. Kanan is waiting for you."

* * *

 _The numbness from the carbonation had thawed swiftly. The earache and disorientation had lasted a few minutes longer._

 _It was the hollowness that repressed him in a taut, dormant shell. He heard Kanan's voice; ached to respond: to tell everyone he was okay._

 _But he wasn't._

 _Something was wrong inside._

 _Power. The Force had been pent inside of him by Vader's will, escalating until it exploded. It hurt! Even now Kanan gripped his hand and Ezra tried to scream. Raw nerves. Eyelids burning. Hera's voice was too loud._

 _Stop! Please, stop talking, everyone!_

 _Was this the result of the dark side? Was this how he had assailed Vader? How ironic that his own weapon had been bottled inside of him until it ruptured his core._

 _Kanan, I'm sorry!_

 _He was nothing more than a Sith. The dark side was his destiny._

 _The Force drifted just out of reach; a glowbug hovering in a starless galaxy. Ezra spread his fingers towards it nostalgically… and the light tapped back. Intrigued, he touched it uncertainly, like a child bopping his puddled reflection. The light whirled around him._

' _Ezra? Ezra, can you hear me?'_

' _No… don't…' Ezra yanked away and closed his eyes. 'Kanan, don't!'_

 _He couldn't reciprocate. He wouldn't snuff out the only light Kanan had left._

' _Come on, kid. Stop running from me,' the light urged._

' _I'm not running!' Ezra retorted. 'You're just getting too close!'_

 _The light chuckled and zipped nearer, swirling over his hands; his arms; never touching and never flinching away._

' _Kanan, I mean it! I – I don't want to kill you!'_

 _The light stuttered, then clipped Ezra's ear in a snarky rebuke. 'You can't even scrub the radiators properly. If this is your definition of 'killing me', then you'll make a mopey Sith lord.'_

 _He wanted to joke along. He wanted to scream and plead for Kanan to leave before it was too late. The light settled around Ezra's shoulders and he sat down hard in dismay._

' _Why is this happening to me?'_

'… _It was my fault.' Kanan's voice was hesitant. 'I should have listened to the Fulcrum; kept you off the planet. The force tried to warn me, and I let Vader manipulate you … again.'_

' _Am I with Vader now?' Ezra shuddered, trying to pull the dark around him. The light fluttered, growing weaker. Alarmed, Ezra pushed the blackness away and was relieved when the light flickered strong once more_

' _You're on the Ghost – please calm down, Ezra. I can hear Hera in the other room. Whatever you're doing, it's frying you up inside.'_

' _Am I dying?'_

' _If you are I'm hunting down Vader – Zeb can affirm that.' It was a quiet threat._

 _Shifting uncertainly, Ezra rubbed his arms._ ' _Kanan, I'm scared.'_

 _The light thrummed anxiously. 'So am I, kid.'_

 _'I'm not afraid of dying. I just …. It's too late for me, isn't it? I'm never going to be anything more than a Sith.'_

 _The light sank like an exasperated glower._ '… _. ... Kid, I lied to you earlier.'_

 _Ezra jolted and the light snickered._

' _My father isn't a Lasat…. He's a gundark.'_

' _Kanan!'_ Killing his master was justifiable if it was for a worthy cause, right?

' _Ezra, stop thinking and calm down. What did I tell you about the Force?'_

' _That it can be used for good and evil...' Ezra droned._

' _And how you utilize it will matter in the end. The Force can be a healer or a weapon. Choosing either in a moment of weakness will not make you a Sith. We just have to go back to training grounds for a while.'_

 _Ezra sulked. 'You cut my padawan braid.'_

' _Hera kept the extension. We can reweave it as soon as you wake up – which it's about time, kid. You're scaring Chopper.'_

' _Good. Let him freak out for a while longer – he spilled hot chocolate on my bunk.'_

' _Ezra_ _, what did I say about revenge?'_

'… _. Five more minutes?'_

' _Up. We need to talk about this.'_

 _Sighing, Ezra dragged himself to the epicenter, where the light flickered strongly and Kanan's voice intensified._

' _Do I have to?' Ezra wheedled._

' _Are you going to leave me here to fight off Chopper alone?'_

' _Yes.'_

' _You're a lousy padawan. Get down here now – before I have Sabine dye your hair permanently.'_

' _I'll poison the uj cake on your next birthday.'_

' _That's it – purple hair for the next three years of your life.'_

' _It's re –" Suddenly red wasn't a color he wanted to be associated with. "… Yeah, purple. Fine. I'm jumping."_

 _Gulping, Ezra plunged into the vortex of stars._

He woke with Chopper clanging pots above his face.

* * *

To Midnight Luna: Technically that counts as a "coma scene", right? :3


	11. Family

"One more instance of you two trying to kill yourselves, and I'm handing this bucket over to the Empire."

"Yes, Captain," Kanan said with a pointed glare. "Would you give us a moment? Ezra and I need to talk."

"Say no more!" Hera rolled her eyes. "Plot your next scheme. Force knows I'm going to be dragging you out of peril soon enough."

"Thank you, Hera," Ezra said from his pitiful wad of blanket cocoon. Hera smiled benignly and Kanan scowled.

"Don't listen to him; he just wants more of your rycrit stew. I told him we were out of supplies."

"I'm sure we can scavenge something at the next outpost," Hera promised.

Ezra melted into the blankets and beamed. "I like getting sick," he whispered to Kanan.

"You're making a mooka out of my padawan!" Kanan hollered.

"Go on and have your little talk, Kanan," Hera said cheekily, peeking around the corner and waved her fingers. "Don't let me disturb you."

As soon as the door hissed shut, Ezra's smile flitted into panic. "Kanan –" Closing his eyes, he exhaled raggedly.

Deliberately sidetracking, Kanan pulled out the missing braid. "Too late for an object lesson?"

"Won't it clash with the purple?" Ezra slid upright, flinching when Kanan raised his hand. Awkwardly the Jedi master curled it, hiding the absent finger.

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Besides the fact that he didn't kill you?" Ezra drew his knees up to his chest and scratched at a rip in his trouser leg. "Why would he leave us both alive? I couldn't stop him… What does he want from me?"

"I don't know." Kanan shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I spoke with Ahsoka; she wants us to go into hiding. I think it would be better to continue your training undisturbed."

"You still want to train me?" Ezra whispered incredulously.

Huffing softly, Kanan answered, "Why not? You are my padawan."

Ezra toyed with his trouser hem. "I had a vision…."

"What kind of vision?" Kanan's fingers worked swiftly, reinstating the severed braid.

Bolstering his courage, Ezra said blatantly, "I saw myself – as a Sith. Right hand to Darth Vader. I killed rebels."

He could see Kanan absorbing the cataclysm, intercepting his own presumptions with the Force's guidance. Chewing his lip, Ezra waited.

"When did this happen?" Kanan said at last.

"A few weeks after the holocron," Ezra admitted. Kanan relaxed.

"Sith holocrons open your mind to the dark side. I should have known it would affect you in the following weeks."

"But I was Vader's _Inquisitor_ ," Ezra pressed. "Shouldn't the dark side have impressed that I was …" _Darth Vader's perfect apprentice? His son?_

"That's funny," Kanan said, craning his neck uncomfortably. "I kinda saw the opposite. Happened around the same time." He smiled at Ezra's waxing hope. "I saw you as a great rebel leader."

"So which is true?" Ezra wondered.

Kanan rubbed his chin. "Maybe neither. The future can take any path."

"Oh." Ezra shuttered his eyes, lingering on those words. _Any path._ He had to remember that. No destiny was inexorable.

He had to remember.

"I'm glad you're back, kid," Kanan said, settling his arm around his padawan's neck. If it strained his shoulder when Ezra leaned in, he didn't complain.

Neither Jedi mentioned that – in his own vision of the future – Kanan had not been present.

* * *

"For Ezra's safety, it is imperative that you leave the Lothal system."

Hera's door was sealed, but Ezra could hear the crackle of the Fulcrum's transmission.

"We'll bunker on Dantooine for a while," Kanan said.

"Zeb, Sabine and I can continue operations in the meantime," Hera added.

"This is not a bacta patch to soothe a wound," the Fulcrum responded. "Vader must be persuaded that Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger are dead. The risks of capture go beyond that of an ordinary rebel cell. You _cannot_ be discovered."

"Understood," Kanan said. "Ezra and I will remain on Dantooine while Hera and the crew maintain the Lothal cell."

"It is decided, then," Ahsoka determined.

Ezra leaned his head against the wall, sickened.

'Hey." Sabine approached from the side, helmet tucked under one arm. Her bleached hair had darkened to sharp purple overnight. "You don't believe a word they're saying, do you?"

"What's not to believe?" Ezra shrugged. "Fulcrum said it; Kanan and I are endangering everyone."

 _I'm a threat._

Sabine tossed her hair back and scoffed. "We're _all_ a danger to each other. That isn't supposed to drive us apart." Her eyes softened when Ezra remained silent. "Hey…. You okay?"

"Just wondering if I should have stayed on Lothal," Ezra mumbled. _Alone. Protecting myself. Protecting Kanan by not existing._

"Ezra, don't start freaking out on me," Sabine said concernedly. She tapped a button and the noise in Hera's room was silenced. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing. I just…." Ezra blew strands of red-purple hair out of his eyes and looked away.

"Is this… about the showdown with Vader?" Sabine hinted.

Ezra whipped around. "You saw that?"

"Yeah." Sabine snorted. "Exploded shuttle, theatrical Sith lord, ashen tornado…. Not like anyone could miss it." She regarded Ezra calmly. "You saved Kanan's life."

"No, I didn't!" Ezra snarled. "Vader allowed us both to escape!"

"Well… that's good, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't, Sabine!" Ezra winced when the Mandalorian drew back. "You – you've seen what's been happening to me. I reacted with the dark side – and it's happening more frequently. I'm not the Jedi Kanan wants me to be. Maybe Vader's right, and I was born to the Sith!"

Sabine whistled low. "Wow. That's what you've been hiding this whole time?"

Exhausted, Exra slumped against the wall. "Now you know – and probably everyone else does, too. Why don't you just kick me off the ship already?"

"I may not know much about Sith lords, but…" Sabine casually sat beside Ezra and tugged his braid. "I have the feeling _this_ isn't one of their trademarks. Come on, Ezra; you emphasized for two years about how much our crew is a family. Now you're leaving us?"

"I'm not –" But that was it, wasn't it? Darth Vader wasn't _pulling_ him away. Ezra had been fleeing for ten months.

"I ... guess I was running away," Ezra admitted quietly. He toyed with his fingers, brushing the faded scars from Mustafar. "I was afraid of what could happen; of what I was becoming."

"You're no less of a Jedi than Kanan – and from what I've heard, he's nothing like the Old Religion." Sabine elbowed Ezra roughly and flipped out a familiar tool. "Found this in your room while I was painting. Looks like a Jedi weapon to me."

Familiar grooves and a blue kyber crystal. It felt _right._

Something else was inexorably wrong.

" _Why_ were you painting my room?"

Sabine grinned wickedly. "That moment when Kanan called himself a 'Kanana'? I merely immortalized his gushy mynock expression." Sauntering away, she twirled her paint can and snicked it into her belt. "Oh, and by the way, Ezra…. Happy belated birthday."

Startled, Ezra tracked the days. "That was…."

"Empire Day. Two days ago. Don't worry, I promise Soufflé a la Lothal. Can't have Zeb revolting if he sees another Uj'alayi."

Wistfully Ezra smiled.

* * *

"Kanan?" Cautiously Ezra peeked around the doorway. "Hera said you wanted to see me."

The Jedi master breathed deeply, preparing for the worst. "Ezr-"

"I know what the Fulcrum decided," Ezra burst in, "And I understand."

Kanan shifted uneasily. "Ezra, we need to talk about –"

"There's nothing to discuss," Ezra said quickly, sitting cross-legged across from his master. "I know."

Visibly Kanan floundered. "We thought it would be better for all of us."

"To separate," Ezra prompted. "You're right. I'll miss Mo- I mean, I'll miss Hera, and Zeb's been like a grouchy older brother, and then there's _Sabine_ , but I guess I'll get over her, and even Chopper is kind of –"

"Ezra…." Kanan held up one hand, holding back … was he laughing? "You don't want to leave. I get it."

Ezra slumped. "So why did you tell the Fulcrum we were splitting the crew?"

"Because that's what I thought you wanted," Kanan admitted. "You're afraid of yourself; of the harm you could bring to others. I thought the best course would be to train you alone until you were more confident."

"I'm confident now!" Ezra declared. Kanan raised one eyebrow. "Well… maybe not. A little. But I'm not afraid."

"I never said you were," Kanan assured. "But are you sure about this? We can't cut our supply routes to Lothal. There are refugees depending on the Ghost."

"I'm not afraid of Vader," Ezra emphasized. _Afraid of what could happen to you, yes. Afraid of myself..._

He still shuddered at the vision.

"Ezra, if you need time..."

"No!" Ezra broke in. "I don't want to be alone - not again. I need my family."

Kanan blinked rapidly, and for a moment Ezra swore the Jedi's eyes were moist. "Well... that settles it," Kanan said with a low cough. He glanced at the door. "All right, Zeb. You can tell Chopper to stop recording."

A bashful Lasat twisted one ear as the door swished open. "Um… not that we were eavesdropping, kid. Chopper was just hoping to catch another 'Kanana' moment."

"What?" Kanan spluttered. "Hera, what did you tell them?"

Zeb slapped his knee and cackled. "Told you he'd holler!"

"Chopper, give me that recording!" Ezra shouted, lunging over the Lasat's outstretched leg. Chopper squealed and zipped down the hall, spiraling frantically past Hera. The Twi'lek barely dodged before Ezra shouldered past her, with Zeb galloping behind.

"I take it we still have six crew members?" Hera dared insinuate.

Kanan winced as a shudder rose from the cargo bay. "Sounds like it."

"Good." Hera's lekku relaxed, sliding off her shoulders. "No need to keep uj cake around, then. Force knows the kid hates it."

" _Uj cake_ – Wait – Hera, can we talk about this? Hera? _Hera!"_

* * *

Kanan's obsession with Uj'alayi stems from _Renewal_ chapter 11. ;) (Therein also lies the unforgettable "Kanana" joke in chapter 13.)

I should have made this a gloomier finish. But I'm not going to. I'm nice that way.

There is no "magical ending" for Ezra. He is not okay. But he's with his family, and for now that's all that matters.

Concluding chapter after this, and then on to Arc 5: _Visions_

Thank you to nuyen236, AzulaBlue92, NerdwithaBook, Ichichi05, Midnight "LUNAtic" (yes, caught your pun) ;), Superherotiger, heartbreakerninja, Sakura425, Rebels-lover, Guest Star, Gracie, and starwarsrebels for leaving feedback on the last chapter, as well as those who reviewed previous chapters after the acknowledgements!


	12. Premonition

"Commander Kallus, the new students have been updated to the registration system. We have been instructed to scrutinize their _authenticity_ before admitting them."

Kallus glowered over his stim-tea. The lieutenant placidly laid the datapad on the desk, saluted, and turned to the door.

"Lieutenant," Kallus called.

"Sir?" The lieutenant tried not to look at the commander's scars. Latest betting pool involved whether the crossing lines were _really_ the result of an exploding transport, and not an example of Darth Vader's wrath.

"Those blueprints the rebels stole; what were they?"

"I … believe Captain Deva created a fictitious strategy for academic purposes, for her seventh level students," the lieutenant said. "Darth Vader integrated it into the systems two weeks before the sabotage. Perhaps he anticipated a rebel spy network."

"And Captain Deva informed him as soon as the blueprints were pilfered," Kallus guessed. Ingenious, once more. Darth Vader's ploys were commendable… if he wasn't equally susceptible to losing the Jedi last minute.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all." Kallus waited until the door locked before activating his console. It seemed the Empire had radical objectives for the Lothal population.

"Force-inhibiting bioweapon," Kallus murmured. "Vader, your reach extends too far." He smiled grimly and sipped his tea.

If his sources were correct, he knew exactly where the rebels would be hiding.

When the toxins were released, an army would be waiting to retrieve the prisoners.

"No oversights this time," Kallus vowed.

The only controlled Jedi was one with a still heart.

* * *

He was sitting in the aft turret. Searching the Force for answers. Questioning the wisdom of his decision.

Wondering if he was altering his padawan's future for the worse.

"You did the right thing," Hera said softly, climbing up and pecking Kanan's cheek. "The Ghost is a family."

"I hope so," Kanan said, glazed eyes fixated on the stars. He shifted uneasily. "I used to think I could protect Ezra from my past mistakes. I knew his worst enemy would be himself."

Ever doubting. Ever wanting to be more than he was. Sighing, Hera threaded her arm through Kanan's. "You've given him your best. No one could ask for more."

"But it's not enough." Kanan closed his eyes, envisioning Vader and the pull he still had on his son, even when Ezra thought his master couldn't sense the struggle. "It's never going to be enough."

He couldn't be a stronghold against the dark side. But he would be there. Whenever Ezra needed him, whatever path, Kanan would stand beside him.

Even if he was nothing more than the Force.

* * *

"Lord Vader." The lieutenant saluted and held his breath for a response.

"Speak, Lieutenant."

"The weapons faculty reports that the bioweapon is ready for a test run. The facility is at your command."

"Excellent work, Lieutenant."

Turning from the officer, Darth Vader perused the clouded horizon. Within months the rebels would land again. Lothal called to them like the blood of Skywalker drew Ezra to his father. They would unleash their petty crimes, and Darth Vader would be waiting.

When the bioweapon was released, the Force would be cut off from the entire planet.

The disconnection itself would drive a Jedi to madness.

* * *

.

.

.

End

* * *

YAY! That's it for Arc 4! Next Arc is _Visions_ \- a two-shot detailing the visions Ezra and Kanan saw. This will branch directly into Arc 6. (Provided no one gives me ideas and morphs Arc 6 into Arc 7... DO NOT PROVOKE KALLUS!)

Thank you to Cptbckthd, Valkyrie-Sythe, BuruPlays2, heartbreakerninja, , idreamstuff, nuyen236, AzulaBlue92, NerdwithaBook, Begoogled, Janellexleo4eva, Ichichi05, Janie, GrackleDragon, neostorm854, AliveO, Firehawk720, Midnight Luna, Superherotiger, Sakura425, Rebels-lover, Guest Star, Gracie, starwarsrebels, and all the Guests for reviewing over the course of this story!


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